Overview: When a catering order is greater than $5,000 and requires a contract, the contract must be signed by an appropriate University or SOG Services Official, depending on the funding source of the program.  When the catering order is less than $5,000, a P-Card or T&E card may be used, or the caterer can provide an invoice to be paid after the event. The School's preferred caterer for on-campus events is Carolina Catering; when using Carolina Catering, a contract is not required.

Please check Meeting and Event Planning - Finance and Budget (unc.edu) that lists all of the meeting and event vendors who have master agreements with UNC, including A/V, catering, rentals, entertainment, photography, florals, etc. Using one of the vendors listed here is not required, but it can streamline the payment process and may also get us a reduced cost under the rates negotiated by the university. 

Step by Step Process:

For more information about Carolina Catering, visit: https://carolinacatering.catertrax.com/

For catering orders less than $5,000 (not through Carolina Catering):

1. To pay by credit card, you can use your T&E card if you have one, or contact your Team Lead (or the Business Office, if not related to a SOG course) to use a P-card to pay for the order. You will need to collect an itemized receipt from the caterer for T&E card or p-card reconciliation. Please be sure to ask the vendor to remove sales tax and provide the UNC tax exemption letter or SOG Services Tax Exempt Letter if requested.
2. If you cannot pay by credit card, ask the caterer for an invoice. Submit the invoice through the Business Office Ticketing System within 10 days of the event. Include the relevant Course/Program/Project Codes associated with the order. In addition, please include the final agenda and participant list.

For catering orders greater than $5,000 (not through Carolina Catering), the Business Office will need to create a Purchase Order. At least 30 days before the event:

1. You will need to gather and complete all the necessary paperwork (described below) for the caterer that is to be hired:

You provide:

 ⃣     Agenda or course announcement

 ⃣     Participant List (if available)

If the contract is for more than $25,000, also complete:

 ⃣    Sole Source Justification Letter (signed by Faculty) 

 ⃣    Waiver of Competition form (signed by Faculty)

Caterer Provides:

 ⃣    Contract

 ⃣    IRS Form W-9 

 ⃣    ACH Form 

 ⃣    HUB Form

Note: Please do not submit the W-9 and ACH forms via the ticketing system or email. These forms contain sensitive private information and should be handled with care. After submitting your ticket, please direct clients and vendors to submit their paperwork via one of these secure methods. 

2. Submit contract and all completed forms to the Business office via the Business Office Ticketing System. In the description area of your ticket, please provide any additional relevant details or special requests. The ticket should also include the appropriate Course Code and/or Program Code related to the event.

Once the Business Office has received the request and paperwork, within 2 business days we will:

1. Review the paperwork and let you know if any additional information is needed.

2. Submit the paperwork to the University Purchasing office for approval. If we receive feedback from the University that more information is needed, we will let you know. Once it approves the submission, the University will sign the contract and send it back to the SOG. Note: Because all contracts are reviewed and signed centrally, the time it takes for the University to review and sign a contract can vary significantly. You should plan for a timeline of up to 3 weeks for University review.

3. We will send you the signed contract via the ticketing system. You should then return the signed contract to the caterer.

After the event and services are complete, within 10 business days, you should:

1. Submit an itemized invoice to the Business Office for Payment. Please include the finalized agenda and participant list with your submission.
2. Include in your submission the relevant Course and/or Program codes.
3. The Business Office will submit the invoice for payment within 2 business days.

Relevant University Policy: How to Purchase at UNC-Chapel Hill

Questions? Contact Anitra Jones at ajones@sog.unc.edu